Just When The Phone Rings…

It is one of those perfect moments, the kids are actively engaged and you are busy into activities of your own, and then the phone rings. You initially think perfect timing but the veteran mom will be glancing quickly at her kids as she reaches for the handset to make sure they are still occupied. Just as you settle into the conversation and the more engrossed you become you spot things in disarray out of the corner of your eye.

Is that you daughter scaling the furniture? Fearful of some injury befalling her you act swiftly and remove her with one arm while not losing a beat of the conversation. Besides the fact that you have been craving for some (adult) conversation all day. Your other child is awfully quiet and the amateur mom may think that is great, but you have been around the block a few times to know that spells trouble. Oh yes there are few occasions that you are wrong and you find her busy reading some book but on others (read most) you are more apt to find her deciding to put nailpolish on her herself and her dolls (save the lecture about me keeping all of this out of reach for later). The rule of thumb is the more interesting the chatter is, the more likely the chance of trouble brewing. Yes, you can give a time out (and I have been known to dish out a few during calls) but you hate getting off the call to do that.

This is because of two reasons. One being that you have been yearning to speak to this person for a while, while the other just been a power struggle issue (no way are you letting your kids run your life and make you end your call). Either way the moment you hang up all things go back to normal, that is until the phone rings again.